Stand Up For Your Health: Sitting Too Much Could Seriously Kill You, So Do Something About It

Recent research suggests that sitting too much may actually put you at increased risk for any number of future ailments, and now innovation is trying to find a solution to the problem.
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If the standing desk that reporters in Medical Daily’s newsroom are fawning over is any indication, people are becoming increasingly conscious of the possible negative health effects of sitting in front of their computers for long periods of time throughout the day. Recent research suggests that sitting too much may actually put you at increased risk for any number of future ailments, and now innovation (and furniture in some cases) is trying to find a solution to the problem.

We’ve covered the research in many different ways on numerous different occasions: Sitting too long can offset the benefits of exercise. Women who have more than 11 hours of sedentary time every day up their risk of premature death by 12 percent in comparison with those who have only four hours or less of inactivity. And every hour of sitting contributes to an 100 percent increase in your risk of becoming disabled after 60.

"Up until very recently, if you exercised for 60 minutes or more a day, you were considered physically active, case closed," said Dr. Travis Saunders. "Now a consistent body of emerging research suggests it is entirely possible to meet current physical activity guidelines while still being incredibly sedentary, and that sitting increases your risk of death and disease, even if you are getting plenty of physical activity."

So what can you do to combat the negative health effects of a sedentary lifestyle?

First, get up! If you are sitting at a desk all day, make sure to get up as often as possible to avoid prolonged periods of inactivity. In addition, you can find ways to offset your inactive hours during your workday with meaningful physical activity outside of work. Don’t just go home and watch television. Clean the house. Take the dog for a walk. Go for a bike ride.

D News, a YouTube channel dedicated to answering life’s big questions, tackled why sitting too much may kill you head on. Take a look: